The last home match between Sarawak and Terengganu were spoilt not only on the pitch but by the off-field incidents that almost gone awfully wrong.
The match ended in a 1-3 defeat suffered by the home team to Terengganu, but hard to swallow especially by Sarawak FA was the behavior of a section of the home fans that celebrated every match in the wrong way, causing the Sarawak FA in fines and health hazard to sections of the crowds.
At every end of the match, a section of the crowds lit up flares which has caused the Sarawak FA a deep hole in their pocket as it contravened FAM rule and the penalty is a heavy fine.
Already, the FA has yet to pay the fines incurred by the breaking of such a rule as the lighting of flares than for the new offence to be committed again.
In the last match as in previous matches, at least two fans fainted and were rushed for medical attention as a result of the smoke produced.
This incident happened repeatedly in almost every home match.
In the last match when a section of the crowds lit up the air with flares resulting in an altercation between security officials and a section of the crowds long after the final whistle was blown.
A section of the crowds rushed down to the track to chase after the people who had “provoked” them. And fearing a mayhem everyone in the stadium ran helter-skelter.
Only when the few special units of riot police with their batons and shields move in was order restored and even then one member of the crowd got too “emotional” and had to be restrained by some officials causing tension among the thousands of crowds still milling around the stadium.
The incident occurred when the press conference between the local media and Sarawak coach Robert Alberts ended and all the commotion caught everyone by surprise, including FAS officials and its president, Datuk Sudarsono Osman and other officials who witnessed the incident.
Sudarsono was not amused by the incident as he sounded out to the press that they should highlight these incidents, especially the misbehavior of a few individuals who lighted up the flares which is banned in the stadium.
Perhaps a heavier sentence of a ban from the stadium for those caught lighting up flares may deter some, if not all of these troublemakers.
Source: FAS sees red as fans lit flares at stadium @ New Sarawak Tribune
